Kronwall - Quincey
White - Ericsson
Smith - Colo
Scratch: Kindl has to fight Colo for a spot after Carl gets back from his shoulder injury

Howard
Gus

Tatar and Mursak have good shots at pushing a veteran down the depth chart this season because both have been playing all season against professional competition. Tatar's having his best year so far (he's probably the most complete, hard-working player in GR right now) and he's playing the kind of puck-dog game that Babcock loves.

The short training camp and lack of a pre-season will definitely make the lives of the bottom six veteran guys much, much tougher (on every team). Expect some to severely underperform and others to get injured early.

Without internal growth that won't change (and Holland knows that). When he lost out on the UFA sweepstakes he brought cheap veterans in who can provide insurance if the kids don't grow into top rolls.

If you think this team is in the position to trade assets for quick fixes you havent' looked at the ages of our top players. The Wings are in "reload" mode and not far from "rebuild" mode (entirely dependant on how Datsyuk and Zetterberg play as they continue to get older).

I agree. Barring injuries Nyquist will either compete for a top six spot or else stay in the AHL another year. Also, and I know a lot of people won't like this much, I don't think it's too out of left field to think he may get traded if he comes up and plays pretty well off and on this season. The guy is a great talent, but I'm not really sure what separates him from the pack of Flip, Z, and Pav in terms of what he can do on the ice. If those guys are all going to be around a few more years then why not pump his numbers up a little bit and trade him in a package for a top flight d-man or scoring winger?

Of course if Brunner is a bust then that obviously isn't an option.

Edited by kipwinger, 08 January 2013 - 10:28 AM.

GMRwings: "Well, in other civilized countries, 16 years old isn't considered underage. For instance, I believe the age of consent is 16 in Canada. There's some US states where it's 16 as well.

Well, whatever Franzine was signed to be, he has been a disappointment the last few seasons being it...

I really don't think 48-50 points in 50 games shoudl be too hard for someone like Z, Dats or even if Franzine gives 110% every game. Which, with every game being very important, unlike an 80 game season, every player should be putting up numbers that far exceed their 80 game average. There are no nights off this short season. If Keith Primeau can put up 42 points in 45 games last time we had a 48 game sprint to the playoffs, then the Omnipotent Franzine sure as hell should be able to get at least 40 in 50 games. He has be compared to Fedorov on these forums how many times? Well Fedorov, even for his lack of giving 100% all the time, netted 50 points in 42 games. The top three players on this team should have no issues netting 40-50 points in this sprint of a season...I betting the likes of Crosby, Malkin and Henrik Sedin will be getting at least 40 points....

DAN WHATEVER YOUR f****** NAME IS CLEAR OR CLEARLY GET THE f*** OUT OF THIS TEAM BACK GO f****** LEARN TO PLAY MORON I PERSONALY DON'T GIVE A s*** THAT YR LEG IS f***ET UP, PLEASE LIIVE. ANF BABCOCK PLEASE GET READ OF OUR QUINESSSSSSYYYYY HOLLAND YOU JUST HIT THE JUCK f****** POTT!

Im with the speed kills movement. Bert is way too slow. 38 pts with Pav and pp time is the bare minimum we should expect. 80-100 pts is what a good winger would put up. We are too kind to aging vets. Youth, size, toughness, and speed mixed in with thr talent. Kings proved that last year. Bertuzzi is Santa Claus on skates.

In the 2008-2009 season in which Datsyuk scored 97 pts., Marian Hossa (all-star winger and actual sniper) only scored 63 pts. I don't know where this idea that Datsyuk can make some wingers into supermen comes from, I mean even Datsyuk's production is waning, so the likelihood that just playing on his line is enough to turn a good winger into a league leader is silly.

Crosby is one of the best centers in the game and his play doesn't turn wingers into 80-100 pt. guys.

GMRwings: "Well, in other civilized countries, 16 years old isn't considered underage. For instance, I believe the age of consent is 16 in Canada. There's some US states where it's 16 as well.

<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="kipwinger" data-cid="2338491" data-time="1357665618"><p>
In the 2008-2009 season in which Datsyuk scored 97 pts., Marian Hossa (all-star winger and actual sniper) only scored 63 pts. I don't know where this idea that Datsyuk can make some wingers into supermen comes from, I mean even Datsyuk's production is waning, so the likelihood that just playing on his line is enough to turn a good winger into a league leader is silly. <br />
<br />
Crosby is one of the best centers in the game and his play doesn't turn wingers into 80-100 pt. guys. </p></blockquote>

Well, whatever Franzine was signed to be, he has been a disappointment the last few seasons being it...

I really don't think 48-50 points in 50 games shoudl be too hard for someone like Z, Dats or even if Franzine gives 110% every game. Which, with every game being very important, unlike an 80 game season, every player should be putting up numbers that far exceed their 80 game average. There are no nights off this short season. If Keith Primeau can put up 42 points in 45 games last time we had a 48 game sprint to the playoffs, then the Omnipotent Franzine sure as hell should be able to get at least 40 in 50 games. He has be compared to Fedorov on these forums how many times? Well Fedorov, even for his lack of giving 100% all the time, netted 50 points in 42 games. The top three players on this team should have no issues netting 40-50 points in this sprint of a season...I betting the likes of Crosby, Malkin and Henrik Sedin will be getting at least 40 points....

Scoring isn't going to increase because of a shortened season. GAA will remain at about the same it has been since the first lockout (under 6 goals a game).

Primau may have scored 42 in 45 after the first lockout but that is the same PPG as his previous year in which he scored 73 in 78 in 93-94. He even scored more than a point per game one season in Philadelphia

In the 2008-2009 season in which Datsyuk scored 97 pts., Marian Hossa (all-star winger and actual sniper) only scored 63 pts. I don't know where this idea that Datsyuk can make some wingers into supermen comes from, I mean even Datsyuk's production is waning, so the likelihood that just playing on his line is enough to turn a good winger into a league leader is silly.

Crosby is one of the best centers in the game and his play doesn't turn wingers into 80-100 pt. guys.

Hossa had 71 points playing with Datsyuk...They complimented each other, Hossa had 40 goals and Datsyuk had 65 assists. Franzine had his best year that season at 59 points. The Red Wings need that 40 goal scorer, Datsyuk needs that 40 goal scorer. If Dats had that 40-50 goal scorer, he'd be back near or over 100 points. Datsyuk's game is waning because he doesn't have that type of player. When given the puck Hossa et al know what to do with it, seems like Franzine doesn't. Dats is declining because he has to play with Franzine and Bertuzzi most nights. If Dats had a Hossa or Malkin or Kovalchuk, things would be MUCH MUCH different...

DAN WHATEVER YOUR f****** NAME IS CLEAR OR CLEARLY GET THE f*** OUT OF THIS TEAM BACK GO f****** LEARN TO PLAY MORON I PERSONALY DON'T GIVE A s*** THAT YR LEG IS f***ET UP, PLEASE LIIVE. ANF BABCOCK PLEASE GET READ OF OUR QUINESSSSSSYYYYY HOLLAND YOU JUST HIT THE JUCK f****** POTT!

<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="kipwinger" data-cid="2338491" data-time="1357665618"><p>
In the 2008-2009 season in which Datsyuk scored 97 pts., Marian Hossa (all-star winger and actual sniper) only scored 63 pts. I don't know where this idea that Datsyuk can make some wingers into supermen comes from, I mean even Datsyuk's production is waning, so the likelihood that just playing on his line is enough to turn a good winger into a league leader is silly. <br />
<br />
Crosby is one of the best centers in the game and his play doesn't turn wingers into 80-100 pt. guys. </p></blockquote>

71 pts in 74 games.

And he didn't actually play much with Datsyuk. He scored 41 goals, might have hit 50 if he didn't miss games due to injury (would have certainly if he didn't miss games with injury and played more with Datsyuk)

Hossa had 71 points playing with Datsyuk...They complimented each other, Hossa had 40 goals and Datsyuk had 65 assists. Franzine had his best year that season at 59 points. The Red Wings need that 40 goal scorer, Datsyuk needs that 40 goal scorer. If Dats had that 40-50 goal scorer, he'd be back near or over 100 points. Datsyuk's game is waning because he doesn't have that type of player. When given the puck Hossa et al know what to do with it, seems like Franzine doesn't. Dats is declining because he has to play with Franzine and Bertuzzi most nights. If Dats had a Hossa or Malkin or Kovalchuk, things would be MUCH MUCH different...

Watching him in his first game and every game since has proved it to me.

Datsyuk and Tatar are the new Euro twins. They are dominating the AHL with great 2 way play. Against the Barons last weekend, they totally shut down the young NHL stars on that team while being very dangerous offensively
We only have 3 forwards (possibly 4 if Brunner turns out to be as good as hoped) that are as good as Nyquist and Tatar are now (and if they work as hard as Datsyuk and Zetterberg did at improving on their deficiencies should be as dominant or almost as dominant in the NHL

<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="number9" data-cid="2338499" data-time="1357666566"><p>
If Filppula can continue to get better and become the next Datsberg, that would be perfect and he could center the 2nd line.Zetterberg - Datsyuk - BrunnerNyquist - Filppula - FranzenIf Brunner doesn't bust that top line could be one of the most lethal in the NHL. The 80-100 pts people are talking about.</p></blockquote>

First of all, aside from how well he is playing in the AHL right now, did you not watch any of the games last season that he came in and played a top-6 position? He looked like someone who had been playing in the NHL for a few years, he has great senses, he is very responsible with the puck, soft hands, and he came in mid season jumping around the lines and still managed 7 points playing games here and there and never having time to really get chemistry going on any particular line. Put him in from the start and I will guarantee 40 points at least in his rookie season (82 games) or 20-25 points in 48 games.

Hossa had 71 points playing with Datsyuk...They complimented each other, Hossa had 40 goals and Datsyuk had 65 assists. Franzine had his best year that season at 59 points. The Red Wings need that 40 goal scorer, Datsyuk needs that 40 goal scorer. If Dats had that 40-50 goal scorer, he'd be back near or over 100 points. Datsyuk's game is waning because he doesn't have that type of player. When given the puck Hossa et al know what to do with it, seems like Franzine doesn't. Dats is declining because he has to play with Franzine and Bertuzzi most nights. If Dats had a Hossa or Malkin or Kovalchuk, things would be MUCH MUCH different...

Why are you still comparing Hossa and Franzen? Because they were both on the same team at the same time and because they were both free agents at the same time? They are not the same type of player and never have been. It's like comparing Lecavalier and Stamkos. If those two were free agents at the same time, and Tampa kept Stamkos and let Lecavalier walk, nobody would say that they kept Stamkos to be Tampa's new power forward.

Also, Datsyuk and Malkin play the same position, and are both much more dangerous with the puck than without it. They both can't have it at once.

I agree that the Wings need more shooters, but arguing that they should acquire a shooter by losing a power forward creates one hole while replacing another.

Now if you were to say "move Franzen and player X for Backes or Lucic" or someone like that, I would entertain your thoughts, because they are similar style players with varying degrees of success.

But at the end of the day, if you have a line which consists of a shooter-playmaker-shooter, or playmaker-playmaker-power forward, or power forward-playmaker-power forward, then you've got too many people on one line that do the same things.

Power forward-Playmaker-Shooter is the way to go. If you had a line of Datsyuk, Radim Vrbata, and Franzen it would decimate this league and wouldn't require an all star like Hossa or Kovalchuk either.